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January 4 sign in
RangerRickL
Posts: 8,469 Member
Did I exercise for at least 20 minutes?
Did I stay within my calorie budget for the day?
Did I keep track of everything I ate and drank?
Did I stay within my calorie budget for the day?
Did I keep track of everything I ate and drank?
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Replies
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This post will ignite a firestorm of controversy...that's a good thing. Part of my job is to encourage respectful discussion. Today's post is about Calories In vs. Calories Out (CICO).
The Ultimate Accountability Challenge (UAC) is designed to be simple in concept. The UAC has been in existence for more than 3 years. In that time, we have had team members who have lost significant fat and become healthier and fit. At the foundation of their success is the most fundamental discipline: tracking their caloric intake; then adjusting their caloric intake based on whether or not they achieved their desired result; and increasing their daily exercise.
Today, I'll give you a link to an excellent article that explains CICO
Tomorrow, I"ll give you a link to an article that emphasizes 'caloric quality". I'm in favor of the caloric quality idea, but CICO is a good start as you try to find your own balance.
The UAC is a simple CICO program. If you have the time; energy and desire you can customize your own program so it works for you.
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Here is the article on the basics of CICO
http://www.acaloriecounter.com/diet/daily-calorie-intake-calories-in-vs-calories-out/5 -
Date: January 4
Exercised?: Yes - 20 minute YouTube workout.
Calories?: Yes - nicely under target. Ate very well today too
Tracked?: Yes - all tracked.
I'm a fan of CICO. It makes complete sense to me, and it works. But i also find that i eat better simply because I'm tracking so I'm getting better quality calories by default.11 -
CICO has definitely been the answer for me. That said, I don't find that all calories are equal, particularly if your allotted daily calotie level is low. I find that I must also pay attention to macros within the CICO equation if I am to sustain energy, avoid cravings, and maintain a successful way of eating over time.10
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January 2
Exercised?: Yes. (2km in 50 mins - Very hilly - at wife's pace)
Calories?: Yes
Tracked?: Yes
Wife and I walked around Cape Schank lighthouse. Plan was to do the 5km walk to Bushrangers Bay, but that will be another time.
Dinner with my parents.
January 3
Exercised?: Yes. (8.5km in 64 mins - mostly flat)
Calories?: Yes
Tracked?: Yes
Wife too sore from walking the hills at Cape Schank lighthouse the day before, so I took an evening walk around Rye/Blairgowrie.
Dinner out at a hamburger place that can do gourmet hamburgers with no bun. Really good gourmet hamburgers. Glad I had don the walking.
January 4
Exercised?: Yes. (3km in 24 mins - hills)
Calories?: Yes
Tracked?: Yes
Checked out from resort and headed home early. Hot day (42C - 108F), so wanted to get home and unpacked early before the worst of the heat.
Walked after cool change came through (at 5:30pm).
Lots of packing and unpacking. Glad to be home.
@RangerRickL. Appropriate picture for today for here (considering temperature).
CICO works. Ironically, the hard bit is working out the real CO value.
There are variants on CICO, but when you get the root of each system; CICO still remains. Whether Keto, Low carb, Atkins, Intermittent Fasting, Weight Watchers, HIIT training, etc... The fundamentals of CICO still apply (even if not tracking calories).
A calorie is not a calorie. However, it is the closest workable approximation to what is going on so it is worth using.
Marcos (Carbs, Protein, Fat) become important for other things (like satiety, strength building, insulin resistance, general health). Get the macros right and the rest becomes a LOT easier.
There is no one system fits all. Everyone needs to experiment with what works for them. What foods give you energy? What foods keep you full longest? What foods do you overeat? What foods make you lethargic? Do you stress eat? Do you comfort eat?
One thing tracking does is that it makes you AWARE of what is going on. You can notice changes. Experiment for yourself. Once you are AWARE of what you are doing, THEN you can make changes and see if they make the difference you want.
Enough from me for now
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As mentioned by me in the "What's On Your Mind?" thread, I have made a personal commitment to the Daily exercise reporting ... 20 minutes (usually much more) on my mini-trampoline is still a "Yes" but as a starting place for figuring out how to improve my body-fat number I am looking to be able to report "PLUS [something else]"
I am also "practicing to see if I can fit this in before heading out the door for work in good time" So far, so good
.... so long as I don't crack a book OR turn on MFP 
This morning, I did 7 minutes ultra-intense HIIT program setting on my exercise bike. (5 pairs of alternating 42 second lowest-highest resistance setting)
Yesterday after supper I did a second HIIT session (7 minutes), and I can still walk today. So lets see how 7 (a.m.) & 7 (p.m.) goes for a few days (in addition to my default afternoon cardio) while I research other possible rotating options.
REAL Reality hits on Monday .... I'm trying to soften the blow ....
Full daily report to follow at the end of my day.11 -
Exercise - 1h40 gym cross training/2.5k swim
Calories - yes
Tracked - yes
I like CICO, it makes stuff a lot easier for me. I obviously keep an eye on my macros too so it's not calories but nonetheless it makes my life easier.10 -
@craigo3154 thanks for the excellent summary of cico and macros - very well said.5
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Did I exercise for at least 20 minutes? Yes I did 25 minutes
Did I stay within my calorie budget for the day? Yes I did.
Did I keep track of everything I ate and drank? O definitely yes. This has been such an eye opening experience to see how much calories and fat food has.
Day 4 done and dusted.11 -
RangerRickL wrote: »Here is the article on the basics of CICO
http://www.acaloriecounter.com/diet/daily-calorie-intake-calories-in-vs-calories-out/
Thank you for this link...there is always something new to be gained from various perspectives. Pleased after linking to continued discussion on calorie maintenance to find I do, in fact, have calorie maintenance properly set within an acceptable range for me. I continue to make adjustments to CI based on variables which affect CO, such as exercise. The UAC journey is not a "one size fits all." @craigo3154 is on point with his remarks above. We are fortunate to have the inspiration of @RangerRickL and @craigo3154 to keep us focused and on task.7 -
Exercise - Yes. 4 mile walk. I set out for an easy 3 mile and ended up doing a moderate pace 4+.
Calories - Yes. Under
Tracked - Yes
Pass day so far: 0
I don't think CICO is controversial at all. How you achieve it can be controversial, but the basic equation always works.
Having said that, using MFP does help me have a clearer view of what I am eating I am aware that I don't eat enough proteins so that's something I specifically try to eat more of.9 -
Have never heard of cico, but sometimes my ci v co are about the same, something to work towards...
Exercise yes 10 min quigong, 20 min yoga, 2 x 20 min walk to work and back.140 min cleaning
Tracking yes every morsel
Calories yes, 37 under
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3 x Yes
However yesterday I thought I was on the mend .... WRONG today when I returned from walking the puppy I feel like I've been trampled by a herd of wilder beast11 -
Jan 4
Exercised- Yes - walked
Calories- Yes
Tracked- Yes
(Total pass days so far - 1)10 -
Exercise. 48 min walk.
Calories. Within limit. Anyone tried 5-2 800 calories. Doing intermittent fasting at present. 16-8.
Tracked. Yes.10 -
EXERCISE: SIS YES SIR
CALORIES: SIR YES SIR
TRACKING: SIR YES SIR10 -
Date: January 4
Exercised?: Yes - running
Calories?: Yes - under target
Tracked?: Yes8 -
Exercise: Yes. 40 minutes on the stationary bike.
Calores: Yes, thanks to the 40 minutes on the stationary bike.
Tracked: Yes.
Pass days so far: 1
In terms of CICO, I don't have a strong opinion either way. It depends what your goal is and how you handle food. In the weight loss group I was in before, I saw people eat the lowest calorie food they could during the day just so they could save some 'syns' for chocolate or other treats in the evening. It meant they were having processed, low-fat, high-sugar food during the day and then even more sugar in the evening. But in terms of weight-loss, it worked for them and because it did work and they lost weight, it was beneficial to their health.
For me, caloric quality is important but I'm still feeling my way forward in terms of macros. I was delighted to reach my protein goal today but it was by accident rather than design. CICO is still my main focus for now, but with a healthy (excuse the pun) respect for caloric quality and a focus on the most nutritious food I can fit into my lifestyle.8 -
pass! 
Still not feeling 100%. I dont work Fridays. Had a friend round this morning who stayed longer than expected so we ended up eating out as I had no energy to cook for us. Well done to everyone yesterday who advocated logging then and there. I only just logged and found that my supposedly good choice was pretty bad and I should have eaten very little the rest of the day. Oops.
Cico works for me on the whole but as others have said,not all calories are the same. For me, by body struggles with some carbs, especially bread! The more I limit bread and replace carbs with protein the faster my weight loss even if the calories input were to have been the same.10 -
January 4, 2019
Did I exercise for at least 20 minutes? 20 minutes on the recumbent bike
Did I stay within my calorie budget for the day? Yes
Did I keep track of everything I ate and drank? Yes8 -
Exercise: yes
Calories: yes
Tracking: yes
Slowly getting my carbs down I was able to sneak by at 15grams of carbs today which was just 5% on my macros4 -
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I am also "practicing to see if [a 7 minute HIIT session] can regularly fit in before heading out the door for work in good time" So far, so good .... so long as I don't crack a book OR turn on MFP ....
UUUmmmmmmm .... a late-delivery Christmas present arrived for me today - a BOOK (that I have never read before - a rarity in this house - by a most favorite classic author ) .... so the ante just went up on the "So far, so good .... so long as I don't crack a book " part 5 -
exercise - yes afternoon walk
calories - yes but used my exercise cals
tracked - yes6 -
Exercise- Yes, 75 minute yoga class
Calories- Yes, under by 47 and I ate like a hungry beast all day, made good choices. I am ravenous today after 2 super low appetite days I would normally not worry and eat a few extra but I’m sticking to the challenge. It’s a recovery day so I don’t want to add another workout. Lol it’s ok that I’ll go to bed early to stop myself from eating more.
Tracking- Yes, everything weighed, measured and logged.7 -
allmannerofthings wrote: »exercise - yes afternoon walk
calories - yes but used my exercise cals
tracked - yes
Ooops Just realized I forgot to track something. Adding that in I am over calories so pass #1.6 -
Yes x 3 today.
I do agree with CICO but I also agree that not all calories are the same. I once knew a girl that lived on gin and candy bars. She was very thin but incredibly unhealthy. I am on WW but totally believe in CICO because even though a food is zero points doesn't mean that it doesn't have calories. I know lots of people who have really struggled over that simple little fact. I try to eat as healthy as I can with a high emphasis on protein, veggies, complex carbs, and some fruit. Of course, there is always room for wine and chocolate.
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Yes x 3 today.6
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1/4
Exersized-?yes
Caleries?-yes
Logged?-yes6 -
Did I exercise for at least 20 minutes? Yes .. Cardio and full body
Did I stay within my calorie budget for the day? Yes
Did I keep track of everything I ate and drank? Yes
I am big on CICO..Quality calories and Macros. For me it makes a difference in my success.
Interesting thing happened at dinner tonight. A friend tried to convince me to go to an all you can eat buffet and said I looked good, that I didn't need to stick to my calorie budget today. He said I was crazy to have the kind of goals I have. I had to remember that if someone is calling me crazy then I know I'm living up to my full potential! I did not go to the buffet.12
This discussion has been closed.